Currently there are several devices available to the consumer which are designed to support printed material in an inclined position, on a level surface, so they may be easily read by the viewer. Such devices are typically a wire frame support with legs that fold inward so that the device may be easily transported. These supports have the advantage of allowing the viewer to read or view material without having to hold the material. This leaves the viewers hands free to perform other functions, as well as eliminating the need to support the material while being viewed. These devices are generally designed so that they are portable and may be collapsed for ease of transport. However, when a solid level surface is not available these devices cannot be used. The primary reason is that the design of the support requires that weight of the viewing material be centered on the device. If used on a unlevel surface, the device is unstable and will have a tendency to tip forward or backward. For example, such a device could not be used to hold material while the viewer is sitting in a chair or laying in bed without a flat surface on which to set the device, such as a table.
Other devices have been developed which allow the viewer to view material through a translucent plastic surface when the viewer is laying down in a supine position. These devices require the viewer to place the printed material face down on top of the translucent surface such that the material may be read through the translucent plastic surface. One difficulty with these devices is that they must generally be affixed to the structure on which the viewer intends to lay, for example, a bed. In addition, the plastic surface or other transparent surface is susceptible to scratching and discoloring which, over time, may make viewing more difficult. This susceptibility prevents practical use of these devices outside the home where sun, rain and sand could damage the transparent surface more quickly. Another disadvantage is that these devices are not mobile and cannot be easily transported from one location to another.
Another device currently in use for such purposes comprises a pedestal having wheels with a rotatable flat surface mounted to the pedestal top. The printed material is held in place against the rotatable surface by the use of a transparent plastic window. The device has the advantage of being able to be adjusted so that the printed material may be viewed while the viewer is in a upright or laying position. The device has a further advantage of being able to be moved from one room to another. However, because it uses a transparent window this device has the same disadvantages as that stated above. In addition, because of its bulky design, it cannot be easily transported from one geographical location to another.
Consequently, there is a need in the field for a device that is able to hold material without the use a transparent surface, that may be used on unlevel surfaces, that may be used outside the home, and may be easily transported from one geographical location to another.